₹54.73 Crore for VETRI Schools in Tamil Nadu: Boon for Students or Band-Aid on a Broken System?
- info scout
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
Tamil Nadu’s Big Push with VETRI Schools
The Tamil Nadu government has allocated ₹54.73 crore to establish VETRI Schools, special coaching hubs for students aiming for IIT, NEET, CLAT, and other competitive exams. Spread across 236 government schools, these centers promise to give rural and underprivileged students a fighting chance in an arena usually dominated by the privileged elite.
Why This Matters
Competitive exams in India have long been the fortress of the elite. Coaching institutes in metro cities charge anywhere between ₹1–5 lakhs per year, creating a systemic barrier for rural and poor students. According to data, only 2–3% of rural government school students make it to IITs or national law schools. Tamil Nadu’s intervention could potentially level the playing field—at least partially.
The Double-Edged Sword of Competitive Exams
While the initiative is laudable, the bigger question looms large:
Why should Tamil Nadu’s youth be forced into the rat race of NEET/IIT-centric education?
Shouldn’t the state universities and colleges be raised to global standards instead of pushing children into exams designed with caste and class privilege baked in?
For decades, Tamil Nadu has resisted NEET, arguing that it destroys social justice and disadvantages rural students. Now, with VETRI Schools, the government is both helping students enter the system and legitimizing the very exam culture it once opposed.
A Small Amount, A Big Message
For a state budget that runs into lakh crores, ₹54.73 crore is not a massive outlay. But symbolically, it signals two things:
Equity in Opportunity – giving disadvantaged students access to resources earlier denied to them.
State’s Strategic Dilemma – between resisting the central exam regime and preparing students to survive within it.
The Dravidian Question: Should We Create Our Own IITs?
This is where ideology enters. Instead of celebrating IITs and NEET as “golden tickets,” why not ask:
Why doesn’t Tamil Nadu build its own world-class universities with the same prestige?
Why must our children chase Delhi’s or the Center’s approval instead of building a Tamil academic identity?
The DMK government, rooted in Dravidian principles of social justice, must not stop with VETRI Schools. It must dream bigger—to create institutions that don’t force our students into a narrow, exclusionary definition of “success.”
Numbers That Speak
NEET 2024 Stats: Over 24 lakh students appeared, but less than 7% secured top ranks, most from urban, well-off backgrounds.
IIT Entrants: Around 1.3 lakh students get selected each year, but studies show over 70% come from CBSE/ICSE backgrounds and metros.
Tamil Nadu’s Reality: In the last decade, the number of government school students making it to IITs has been abysmally low—less than 50 per year.
VETRI Schools aim to change these numbers. But will they?
The Human Side: A Ray of Hope, But at What Cost?
For a first-generation learner in a small town, a VETRI School could mean the first real chance at breaking caste and class barriers. Parents who could never afford coaching now see hope.
Yet, for the majority, the competitive exam obsession drains creativity, mental health, and broader learning. In Kota, India’s coaching hub, suicide rates among aspirants are among the highest in the world. Do we want Tamil Nadu’s children to walk the same path?
A Step Forward, But Not the Final Answer
The VETRI initiative is a progressive step, and the government deserves credit. But Tamil Nadu must also confront the larger ideological battle:
Are we content fighting for crumbs in the IIT-NEET system?
Or do we dare to build our own premier institutions that embody the Dravidian vision of equity, inclusivity, and excellence?
Until then, VETRI Schools will remain both a boon for today and a band-aid for tomorrow.
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